


Breathe

by Jeep_Girl



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:02:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29326695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeep_Girl/pseuds/Jeep_Girl
Summary: Lcorp posts to social media for the first time in over six months… it’s the first time Kara sees proof of Lena’s existence…
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 35
Kudos: 246





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little funny story that came to me from seeing all the funny comments on the internet today after the new photo of Katie came to light. :)

Kara, rushing off to meet another deadline, didn’t see the post. She also didn’t notice the way Nia gave her a grim smile as she handed her a coffee that morning. She was too busy rushing off to her morning meeting with Andrea. Even more so, she didn’t notice the way Alex was actually nice to her while giving her commands as Supergirl that afternoon during a highway car chase.

Kara finally got home that night after facing another Supergirl crisis and faceplanted on the couch, exhausted. It was a few minutes later that her sister called. She rolls over, staring at the ceiling as she answers.

“Hey, don’t tell me we have another emergency, I am exhausted.”

“Oh, no, we are all clear for the night. I was calling to see if you wanted to get some pizza.”

“But it’s date night.” She knows it’s Thursday, which is mandatory date night for Alex and Kelly, no matter what.

“Yeah, but she would understand, if you need me.”

Kara sits up, her eyebrows raised. “Why would I need you?”

Kara’s question is met with silence on the phone. “Alex. Why would I need you? What is going on?” Kara’s heart starts racing. She finds herself standing and pacing around her apartment before she realizes it.

“It’s just… I guess you didn’t see it.”

“See what, Alex?”

Alex lets out a long, slow breath. “Lcorp’s newest social media post.”

Kara gasps as the air is sucked out of her lungs. Six months. It has been six months since she has spoken a word to Lena. Six months since she has seen her at all. She has tried so hard not to think about her, about their last interaction, their last fight…

“Kara? Are you there?”

“Yeah… I… I gotta go.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“No… No… I’ll be ok.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah… go… go enjoy date night.”

Kara hangs up the phone before Alex can argue with her any further. Her hands shake as she stares down at her phone, anxious to go to the social media page and open up the Lcorp sites. She hasn’t checked them in a few weeks. She stopped checking so much when it became clear that they weren’t being updated any longer… Apparently Lena insisted they stop posting after her and Kara… after their split. Before then, Lena had them posting so much to help with the rebranding of Lcorp (the second time around).

Kara held her breath as she opened the link to read the post.

It’s a simple picture of Lena in her white coat, working on some new science project. But Kara can’t help but simply stare at how glorious she always looks when she is in her element. It’s a full ten minutes before she finally reads the caption.

_CEO of Lcorp, Lena Luthor, hard at work designing the newest nanotechnology that will help with everything from cleaning up pollution in the oceans to treating injuries on the battlefield._

Kara goes back up to the picture, taking another look. She can see that perhaps Lena has also dealt with the breakup much like she has – by throwing herself into her work. She can see slight bags under her eyes and her shoulders have a slump to them. Even though she isn’t looked at the camera, Kara can almost feel the sadness radiating from Lena. Or maybe, Kara wants that so badly to be true.

It’s been six months since they broke up. Six months since Kara decided they couldn’t be together because she was too much of a risk to be around.

Needless to say, Lena didn’t take it well.

_As Kara was coming back to herself, finally free from the influence of the red K, she wakes up on the floor of a DEO cell. She can see Lena and Alex on the other side of the cell, becoming blurry as her eyes fill with tears. Seeing her response, Alex opens the door and Lena rushes in, pulling Kara into a hug. Alex walks away, deciding to give them a few minutes together, alone. She knows this is Lena’s first time seeing and experiencing Kara under red-K, firsthand._

_“Sh… it’s ok, you’re ok, you’re back now.”_

_Kara cries into Lena’s arms for several minutes before she finally pulls back._

_“No, Lee… it’s not ok. None of what I did to you is ok.”_

_“That wasn’t you.”_

_“It was a part of me.”_

_“Kara, come on. Alex explained it to me. I know you. You would never intentionally hurt me.”_

_Kara’s eyes dart to Lena’s leg, to the unseen wound. She uses her x-ray vision to see it anyway. “But I did do that. I used my powers…” Her voice cracks. “I can’t put you in danger like that again Lee.”_

_The finality of her statement isn’t lost on Lena. She stares hard at Kara, who slowly stands up. Lena follows her cue and stands up. “What are you saying Kara?”_

_Kara looks everywhere in the room but at Lena, though she can feel those green eyes, penetrating her anyway. She steels herself and looks back, her blue eyes blinking away tears she knows she cannot afford to show in that moment. “I’m saying we can’t be together.”_

_Lena scoffs, literally scoffs at Kara’s statement. And it almost, almost, makes Kara backdown. “I’m serious Lena. This event made me realize how dangerous it is to be so close to me… I can’t have someone I… I love so much… in that much danger… ever again… I can’t be responsible for your death.”_

_Lena is silent for a long moment as she lets Kara’s words sink in. Kara doesn’t dare look away, afraid if she does, Lena will vanish. She knows she is breaking both of their hearts, but she doesn’t know what else to do. Lena’s face shifts from understanding to frustration, her chest rising as she sucks in a breath, her jaw tightening as she grits her teeth, her hands clenched. “Kara Danvers. If you think I am just walking away after everything, EVERYTHING we have been through these past seven years. We were best friends for YEARS before our fall out. We tiptoed around each other for a year rebuilding our friendship after the fallout. And then we finally, FINALLY got through that and started dating… and here you are, pulling a fucking stunt like this. What the hell? Seriously Kara?”_

_Kara physically winces at Lena’s elevated voice. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. She should have known it would take more to break Lena. They had been through so much. Their bond now was so strong._

_Kara wipes all the emotion out of her voice. All that is left is the cold, Kryptonian voice she used while under the influence of the Red-K. “Lena. This isn’t up for discussion. I’ve made my decision. We are done.”_

_Lena knows what she is doing. Her head shakes side to side. “Kara, if I walk out of here, I’m not coming back, ever.” It’s her final attempt at reaching Kara. A final way to shock her out of doing this._

_Kara doesn’t say a word._

_“I’ll send for my things.” It is the last thing Lena Luthor says to Kara Danvers before she turns and walks out of the cell, her high heels echoing down the hallway._

_Kara stays standing until the sound of Lena’s heels can only be heard with her superhearing before she falls to the ground, tears streaming down her face. Alex rushing in and envelopes her in her arms._

Lost in the memories, Kara doesn’t realize how hard she is gripping her phone. She doesn’t realize that her thumb brushes over the like button before she tosses her phone across the room as she takes to the night sky to clear her head.

Kara wakes up the next day to several missed calls and texts from Alex.

_Alex: CALL ME WHEN YOU WAKE UP_

_Alex: DEO ASAP_

_Alex: WHERE ARE YOU?_

_Alex: KARA???_

Kara forgoes calling and uses her superspeed to zip over to the DEO, landing on the balcony and making her way inside. She finds Alex and Brainy in the science lab, bent over a table inspecting something.

“Hey Alex, sorry I missed all of your calls this morning. I was tired.”

Alex shoots up, eyes wide. “Finally!”

“What’s going on?” Kara asks as she makes her way over to the table.

“We had a package delivered to us this morning. Brainy has been testing it out.”

Kara sits down, picking up a donut from a plate Alex must have brought in with her earlier that morning. She takes a bite as she eyes them somewhat curious. “Is that why you called me so early?”

Alex smiles widely. “Kara, if Brainy’s calculations are correct,”

“Which they almost always are,” Brainy interjects.”

Alex rolls her eyes. “This could protect you from future attacks of red kryptonite.”

Kara stops chewing midbite and stares. “I’m sorry, what?”

“The package. It appears to be some kind of nanotech that we can incorporate into your supersuit that would provide you with additional protection, specifically designed to defend against red kryptonite. Brainy is testing it to make sure there aren’t any hidden weapons or ways it could attack you or anything. So far it appears to check out.”

The Lcorp announcement from yesterday suddenly flashes through Kara’s mind.

“Who sent it?” She asks.

“That’s the weird thing. We don’t know. Hence all the testing… we thought that maybe one of your superhero buddies might have dropped it off.”

“It was Lena.” Kara says it, confidently, as if she is suddenly finding pieces of a puzzle that have been missing.

Alex gives her a side eye. “I don’t know Kara. You two haven’t talked in months. Why would she suddenly be helping you again?”

“You didn’t actually read the post, did you?” Alex shakes her head. “She has been working on nanotech at Lcorp. That post was deliberate. This was all timed exactly how she wanted it to be timed. Lena doesn’t do anything on accident.” Alex hums, acknowledging that fact. “Perhaps. Regardless, we will run some more tests before allowing it to join with your suit.” Kara nods, knowing her sister and Brainy would never let any harm come to her if they can help it. Though, she also knows they won’t find anything because she is absolutely sure Lena sent it.

“I’m gonna go… work to do…”

“It’s Saturday?” Alex says, suspiciously.

“I have some leads to follow up on,” Kara says without missing a beat. Which isn’t entirely a lie. She does have some leads. They just don’t really have to do with work. They have to do with the protection from red kryptonite and a certain ex-girlfriend across town.

Kara nearly gives herself a panic attack pacing back and forth outside of Lcorp an hour later. She had debated showing up with flowers and chocolate. She had debated just landing on the balcony. She had thought that maybe she should have called ahead first. She even debated simply leaving a thank you note. Kara had spent a lot of time debating exactly what to do while outside Lcorp, a place she had purposefully avoided for the last six months. And now she was panicking.

When her phone beeped, indicating a text message, she figured it was Alex. She never expected it to be Lena herself. Her hands were shaking so much, she almost dropped her phone opening the message.

_Lena: My security team is going to call the police if you do not just come into the building. They take creepy, potentially threatening people pacing outside the building very serious, you know._

Kara gulped, putting her phone in her pocket and took a few shaky steps forward, the doors automatically opening. She sees the lady behind the front desk and the security guard next to her give her a sly smile as she makes her way back to the elevator. She hasn’t been here in six months, but apparently, she still has access to Lena’s building.

As the elevator door opens, Kara exits and Jess gives her a warm smile, happy to see her after all this time. Kara smiles shyly in return as she makes her way to Lena’s office. She hesitates and decides to knock.

“Come in.”

Kara takes a deep breath and opens the door. She enters, closing the door behind her. She turns to see Lena standing before her in all her glory, leaning against her desk. 

It’s a full minute before Kara realizes she hasn’t said anything. She opens her mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. Lena smirks as she stands up and strides towards Kara.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Ms. Danvers?” Lena gestures towards the couch, and Kara follows, taking an old familiar seat. She clears her throat, finally thinking she can find her own words again. “Um… yes… you… you sent it… didn’t you?”

Again, Lena is smirking. And Rao, Kara could let herself get lost in that smirk. “Whatever do you mean?” Lena is playing with her. She is playing with her. And Kara doesn’t mind. She doesn’t care at all.

“The addition to my suit, that will protect me from red-k.”

Lena smiles widely now and nods. “Someone has to look out for Supergirl.” She says it like it is the simplest explanation in the world, even though they both know it isn’t. They both know the implications of such a shield.

“I don’t know how… or why… but… thank you.” Lena gives her a firm nod. “Like I said, someone has to help protect Supergirl, sometimes even from herself.” Kara nods, hearing the double meaning in the statement. She knows she messed up when she let Lena walk away. She knows she should have reached out sooner. She knows all these things, but she doesn’t know how to even begin to bridge the gap between them. And yet, somehow, Lena has started that process for her by sending her the red-K protection technology.

A silence falls between them, with Kara unsure of what to say. Lena though, doesn’t let the silence remain. “I didn’t know you would still follow Lcorp’s social media.” When Kara gives her a quizzical look, she follows up with, “You liked yesterday’s post.” When Kara’s cheeks turn red, it becomes clear that she didn’t realize what she did, which makes Lena laugh. Kara becomes enamored by that laugh, a laugh she hasn’t heard in six long months. A laugh she used to try to get from Lena on purpose, just so she could hear it. Because to Kara, Lena’s laugh was the sweetest sound in the world.

Lena catches Kara staring at her and stares intently back. And after a moment, she asks, “Is there anything else, Ms. Danvers? I do have another meeting here shortly.”

Kara stares. This is it. This is her chance. “Have dinner with me? Tonight?”

Lena smiles. “I’ll send my driver for you,” is Lena’s response. Apparently, they would be dining at Lena’s penthouse. Not that Kara was complaining. That usually meant Lena didn’t want them to be disturbed by Alex or any of the other superfriends. Lena did have quite the security system in place, after all. She knew they had a lot to talk about and talk through, but for the first time in six months, she finally felt hope again.


End file.
